Device for restraining pants&#39; legs above the ground

ABSTRACT

A device for restraining a lower portion of pants to prevent them from dragging along the ground is disclosed. A separate unit attaches to a rear portion of each shoe worn by a user. The device itself may include two surfaces defining a space or a single surface forming a gap for receipt of each of a user&#39;s lower pants&#39; legs. The device thereby retains the pants&#39; legs above the ground preventing damage to the pants&#39; legs.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/806,854 Filed Jul. 10, 2006.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The embodiments of the present invention relate to a device for restraining the lower portion of pants' legs during use.

BACKGROUND

Fashion is definitely in the eye of the beholder. In the 70s, bell bottoms were the rage until the 80s when they fell out of favor until the 90s when they came back into style. One current fashion trend has young men and women wearing baggy pants having excessively long inseams such that the legs of the pants extend well below the conventional location adjacent to the wearer's ankle. In fact, the pants' legs can now extend many inches below the wearer's feet causing the wearer to walk on the lower portion of the pants' legs. Consequently, the lower portion of the pants' legs wear out well before the other portions of the pants. Unfortunately, in most cases, the worn out portion is ample reason for parents or the young men or women to replace the pants well before they have been fully utilized and while they remain viable for their intended purpose. The primary reason for the premature replacement is that the worn out portion is unsightly.

It is further noted that excessively long pants' legs can also cause injuries when wearer's trip over them.

It would be advantageous to provide a device for allowing wearers to continue to partake in the fashion trend of wearing the long pants while eliminating the wear and tear and safety issues associated therewith.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, a first embodiment of the present invention is a device comprising: a pants restraining section adapted to retain a lower leg portion of a pair of pants; and means for attaching said pants restraining section to a rear portion of a shoe. Another embodiment comprises: an inner and outer surface defining a space therebetween wherein said space is adapted to receive a lower portion of a pants' leg; and means for attaching said device to a rear portion of a shoe. The defined space maintains the lower pants' leg in an elevated position off the ground. In one embodiment, the device is attached to the shoe by means of a pair of plastic posts extending downward from the inner surface and inserted into a rear portion of the shoe such that each post resides on an opposite side of a wearer's Achilles tendon. Other means including clips, adhesives or fasteners may also be used.

Other variations, embodiments and features of the present invention will become evident from the following detailed description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a rear view of a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows an upper view of the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows an upper view of a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows both embodiments side-by-side; and

FIG. 5 shows a device according to the first or second embodiment on a shoe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive feature illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention claimed.

Reference is now made to the figures wherein like parts are referred to by like numerals throughout. FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 show rear and upper views of one embodiment of the present invention generally referred to by reference numeral 100. The device 100 can be fabricated of any suitable rigid or semi-rigid material capable of retaining its general shape in response to external forces. Ideally, the device 100 is a C-shaped shell 110 fabricated of a lightweight durable plastic and covered in a leather or cloth material 120. The shape of the device 100 mirrors a rear portion of a wearer's shoe. The cover 120 may further include a logo, advertising or similar indicia 130. Additionally, the cover 120 may have the same color as the shoe to maintain the inconspicuousness of the device 100.

The device 100 comprises an inner surface 140 and outer surface 150 defining a space 160. The space 160 is adapted to receive and restrain a lower portion of a wearer's pants' leg thus keeping them off the ground. In practice, one device 100 is worn on each shoe thereby restraining each pants' leg off the ground.

As shown, posts 170 extend downward from the inner surface 140 or adjacent thereto. When worn, as shown in FIG. 5, the posts 170 (or clips 210 connect to) extend into the wearer's shoe 200 such that each post 170 is positioned on an opposite side of the wearer's Achilles tendon. The posts 170 may be fabricated of any suitable material including hard plastic, rubber, latex, alloy or similar rigid or semi-rigid material and are of such a length to reach an inner, bottom surface of the shoe. The posts 170 maintain the device 100 in place on a wearer's shoe in a position adjacent to a rear portion of the shoe. A bottom portion of a pants' leg 180 is situated into the defined space 160 of the device 100 so that the pants' leg is prevented from dragging on the ground or being stepped on by the wearer.

The device 100 may attach to the shoe in any number of ways including clips, hook and loop fasteners, hooks, snaps, buttons and the like. FIGS. 3 and 4 show an alternative embodiment utilizing a pair of clips 210 to attach the device 100 to a shoe.

Since wearer's are apt to be engaged in physical and strenuous activities, the pants' legs may want to dislodge from the device 100 requiring the wearer to repeatedly re-insert the pants' leg into the space 160 thus optional rubber members 220 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 help restrain the pants' leg in the device 100. While rubber members 220 are described, any suitable tacky or non-slick material may be used to help restrain the pants' leg in place. Accordingly, the rubber members 220 discourage the pants' legs from dislodging such that the wearer does not need to constantly re-insert the pants' leg.

In another embodiment, the device may comprise a single surface or wall designed, when attached to the shoe, to extend rearward from a wearer's shoes creating a gap between the wearer's leg and the single surface. The gap is then used to retain the pants' leg.

Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to several embodiments, additional variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of the invention as described and defined in the following claims. 

1. A device comprising: a pants restraining section adapted to retain a lower leg portion of a pair of pants; and means for attaching said pants restraining section to a rear portion of a shoe.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein the means for attaching said pants restraining section to a rear portion of a shoe comprises one or more posts extending from the pants restraining section.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein the means for attaching said pants restraining section to a rear portion of a shoe comprises one or more clips integrated on the pants restraining section.
 4. The device of claim 1 further comprising a cover fabricated of leather or cloth.
 5. The device of claim 1 wherein the pants restraining section comprises an inner and outer surface defining a space therebetween.
 6. The device of claim 1 wherein the pants restraining section comprises a single surface adapted to create a gap between a wearer's leg and the surface.
 7. The device of claim 6 wherein the means for attaching said pants restraining section to a rear portion of a shoe comprises one or more posts extending from the single surface.
 8. The device of claim 6 wherein the means for attaching said pants restraining section to a rear portion of a shoe comprises one or more clips integrated on the single surface.
 9. A device comprising: an inner and outer surface defining a space therebetween wherein said space is adapted to receive a lower portion of a pants' leg; and means for attaching said device to a rear portion of a shoe.
 10. The device of claim 9 wherein the means for attaching said device to a rear portion of a shoe comprises one or more posts extending from the inner surface.
 11. The device of claim 9 wherein the means for attaching said device to a rear portion of a shoe comprises one or more clips integrated on the inner surface.
 12. The device of claim 9 further comprising a cover fabricated of leather or cloth.
 13. The device of claim 9 wherein the device is C-shaped to conform to a rear portion of a shoe.
 14. The device of claim 9 further comprising means for securing the pants' leg within the space.
 15. The device of claim 14 wherein the means for securing the pant's legs within the space comprises one or more rubber members.
 16. A device comprising: a pair of surfaces defining a space therebetween wherein said space is adapted to retain a lower portion of a pants' leg; and means for attaching said device to a rear portion of a shoe.
 17. The device of claim 16 wherein the means for attaching said device to a rear portion of a shoe comprises one or more posts extending from one of the pair of surfaces.
 18. The device of claim 16 wherein the means for attaching said device to a rear portion of a shoe comprises one or more clips integrated on an inner surface.
 19. The device of claim 16 further comprising a cover fabricated of leather or cloth.
 20. The device of claim 16 wherein the device is C-shaped to conform to a rear portion of a shoe.
 21. The device of claim 16 further comprising means for securing the pants' leg within the space.
 22. The device of claim 21 wherein the means for securing the pant's legs within the space comprises one or more rubber members. 